Alexander Payne set to film Ruth Prawer Jhabvala story

Nebraska director Alexander Payne is set to direct a film based on The Judge's Will, the last published work by novelist and scriptwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, according to Deadline. The Judge's Will was included in the March 25 2013 issue of the New Yorker, shortly before Jhabvala died in April. Jhabvala was born in Germany but later moved to India (after marrying architect Cyrus Jhabvala) and then the US, and remains best known as the writer of a string of film scripts for Merchant Ivory, including Heat and Dust, Room with a View and Howards End. She won two Oscars, for the latter two films. The Judge's Will recounts the preparations an Indian judge with heart disease makes for after his death, providing for both his family and his mistress. Perhaps influenced by Satyajit Ray's The Chess Players, the story concludes with a chess game between husband and wife. Payne is currently readying his black and white road movie Nebraska for a 22 November US release and possible awards run, after a successful premiere at Cannes where Bruce Dern won the best actor award. Nebraska is then due for a 6 December release in the UK. More on Alexander Payne's Nebraska • Oscar predictions 2014: Nebraska • Watch the Nebraska trailer